Ellen Page says she's gay

Cast member Ellen Page arrives at the Los Angeles premiere of "The East" at the ArcLight Hollywood on Tuesday, May 28, 2013 in Los Angeles. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP)ERIE TIMES-NEWS

February 19, 2014 12:01 AM

Ellen Page, who won the hearts of moviegoers as the pregnant teenager in the 2007 film "Juno," has come out as gay.

The 26-year-old told a Las Vegas audience, "I'm here today because I am gay." She was speaking to a conference of counselors who work with teenagers who identify as lesbian, gay, transgender, bisexual or queer.

Page said she's suffered for years because she was afraid to come out. She told the audience, "I'm standing here today, with all of you, on the other side of all that pain."

Page received an Oscar nomination for her performance in "Juno." She also had major roles in "X-Men: The Last Stand" in 2006 and "Inception" in 2010.

'Downton Abbey' adds

3 new cast members

Three new cast members are joining "Downton Abbey" in season five.

British actor Richard E. Grant will join the cast as Simon Bricker, who visits the wavering estate as a guest of the Crawleys.

Also signing on are Anna Chancellor ("The Hour," "Four Weddings and a Funeral"), who joins in a guest role as Lady Anstruther, as well as Rade Sherbedgia ("Eyes Wide Shut," "24"), who will play a Russian refugee.

Those behind the show are skimpy on details of the characters. But executive producer Gareth Neame said: "We are delighted to welcome these talented actors to the world of Downton. The characters they play are set to bring yet more excitement and intrigue to the show."

The fourth season of "Downton Abbey" is currently airing and concludes Sunday.

David Crosby has

heart surgery

Rock performer David Crosby has undergone heart surgery and is postponing his sold-out California shows.

Publicist Michael Jensen tells City News Service that the 72-year-old had a cardiac catheterization last week to fix a blocked coronary artery.

He's expected to make a full recovery, but concerts planned for February in San Francisco and West Hollywood will be moved to April.

Crosby says he'll be ready to perform with the group Crosby, Stills and Nash on a tour that kicks off in Richmond, Va., on March 4.

Crosby underwent a liver transplant in 1994.

Sochi police release

2 Pussy Riot singers

Two members of the Russian punk group Pussy Riot were released after being detained by police in Sochi, the host city of the Winter Olympics.

No charges were filed against Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alekhina, who were held along with several other people near the city's ferry terminal, a popular area for fans celebrating the Olympics.

Seven other people who were detained with them also were released Tuesday.

Police said they were being questioned in connection with a theft at the hotel where they were staying.

'Green Acres' actress

who play Ralph dies

Mary Grace Canfield, a veteran character actress who played handywoman Ralph Monroe on the television show "Green Acres," has died. She was 89.

Canfield had appearances on a number of TV shows during a four-decade career, including "General Hospital" and "The Hathaways." She was Harriet Kravitz on four episodes of the 1960s series "Bewitched."

But she was best known for her role of Ralph Monroe in some 40 episodes of "Green Acres," which ran from 1965 to 1971.

Monroe greeted folks in the town of Hootersville with a cheery "howdy doody," wore painters' overalls and was forever working on the Douglas family's bedroom with her brother, Alf.